Royal Ascot: Day 5 – A Preview of the Final Runners and Fields
Artorius Leads Stellar Cast of International Horses in Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes
The Australian raider Artorius is set to take on 15 rivals as he competes in the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot this Saturday. The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained horse finished third in the same contest last year and has been showing his mettle by performing exceptionally well in high-profile events domestically.
The race boasts a truly international flavor with several other contenders from across the globe including Cannonball and The Astrologist from Australia, Wellington from Hong Kong, Big Invasion from America, and Coeur De Pierre hailing from France.
Leading the charge for homegrown talent is John Quinn’s Highfield Princess who recently placed second in the King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday. Other notable entries include Sacred, Kinross (Frankie Dettori’s mount), Al Suhail representing Charlie Appleby – last year’s winning handler – Sandrine trained by Andrew Balding, Rohaan under David Evans’ guidance, and Tim Easterby-trained Art Power all returning to Ascot having scored wins at previous meetings.
Hukum Favored to Win Hardwicke Stakes Against Seven Rivals
All eyes will be on Hukum as he takes on seven rivals in what promises to be an exciting Hardwicke Stakes matchup following his comeback win over Desert Crown at Sandown. Owen Burrows’ charge had been out of action for almost a year prior to his Brigadier Gerard success, but he looked better than ever and now returns to the 12-furlong distance against a top-class field that includes Deauville Legend (James Ferguson), Pyledriver (William Muir and Chris Grassick), and Free Wind (John and Thady Gosden).
The day’s events will kick off with the Chesham Stakes featuring 17 two-year-olds. The race is headlined by Aidan O’Brien’s Navan winner Pearls And Rubies as Ballydoyle attempts to continue their rich form in this seven-furlong event. Meanwhile, an elite roster has been assembled for the Jersey Stakes over the same distance where fifteen runners are set to compete including Clarehaven’s talented Juddmonte-owned colt Covey, Roger Varian’s Surrey Stakes scorer Olivia Maralda along with unbeaten stablemate Enfjaar plus O’Brien’s Lacken Stakes scorer The Antarctic.